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This family is so near + dear to our hearts. This is the example of when two families embrace each other, not as in-laws, but as one big, happy family. We have each known Dab + Garrett for most of our lives + have walked with them on their journey together. First, as friends, then as bf/gf, as husband/wife + lastly, as mom/dad. We've been privileged to be part of their extended family + participate in celebrating momentous occasions like these.

This was such a big deal for so many reasons. Between the 2 families, there's 6 boys + 1 girl. Everyone was so excited so learn the gender. The boys created grid on the patio + were taking guesses on what baby Nishihira was going to be. Dab's sister had ordered golden eggs with colored confetti inside + they were all going to smash them on the floor together.

As luck would have it, as they were passing out the eggs, one of them dropped on the ground spilling the confetti. While we rushed to cover the color, big brother Nikolas was so excited that he blurted out "IT'S A GIIIIRRRRLLL!!" Although the reveal didn't go as planned, Dab + Garrett thought it was perfect + wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Surrounded by their family, they celebrated the coming of a baby girl the entire family had been hoping + praying for.

We are so excited for D+G as they prepare to welcoming baby girl into the world. She is already so loved + I cannot wait to get my "Auntie" on + spoil her rotten!

Earlier this month, I had a couple senior sessions with a select group of girls with whom I've been privileged to come alongside through a very funny twist of events 2 years ago. Looking back, I didn't realize what role they would play in my life + I am truly grateful for the things I learned from them. Also, living vicariously through these young + vibrant 20 year old's is something I have thoroughly enjoyed...

Now that graduation season is over, I had some time to reflect on what's to come for these college graduates + think about my own entrance to the "real world" way back when. I've said it over + over but I am beyond excited for these ladies + for what lies ahead. They, individually, are charismatic, bright + motivated forces of nature who are ready to embrace their adulthood + leave their student lives behind. I remember that feeling of being a fresh new college graduate, eager to make an impact + discover my place in the world. I had a set plan for my life + set out to follow that plan. However, many years later, I find myself continually redefining my place + what my purpose is. As life/circumstances constantly change, I've learned the importance of adapting to these changes + that change isn't a bad. thing. I would have never met these beautiful souls had I remained the same person I was 3 years ago. My hope for these ladies is just that - to embrace change + to be open to the opportunities that comes with it.

What an unbelievable duo these girls are. They're both so extremely talented, incredibly intelligent, funny + gorgeous ladies with beautiful souls. Sure, they're family but it doesn't make it less true. Emiko + Kumiko Bankson, sisters extraordinaire, make up the wonderfully awesome duo, EK Strings, + we had the pleasure of participating in an intimate styled shoot with Rekindle Creative in preparation of their upcoming summer music project. For their project, they chose to work with vendors who were near + dear to them + we are so honored to be part of it. Here's a taste of the images from this session....

Be sure to follow them on Instagram [ @ekstrings ] to keep up with their projects + treat your ears to their musical gift.

Around this time 3 years ago, we photographed Taryn + Jason as they prepared to welcome their first baby into the world! What an honor it is to be able to continue documenting this family as they grow + prepare to become a family of 4. We wanted to highlight + celebrate Baby #2 in a unique way so we collaborated with some super awesome vendors to pull off this surprise gender reveal styled shoot.

Congratulations Jason, Taryn + Peyton on bringing another baby girl into your family! Pey's gonna be such an AMAZING big sister!! We look forward to capturing many more milestones with you!

We chose a geometric chic theme to celebrate baby #2 + am in LOVE with all the details! Jen with JenTeeBakes came through with such a beautiful (+ delicious) vanilla cake covered in a yummy buttercream frosting. She also continued the geo theme with edible cake toppers + the triangular cookies which were additional sugary goodness! DIY/Craft extraordinaire, Mina Choi, provided all the garlands that added the extra oomph to the table. The paper plates, napkins + utensils were from Wild Child Party. Keepsake "Welcome Baby" poster is from owens + co

Taryn: " OK, so what are we having?!??"

IT'S A GIRL!!

Someone's excited to have a little sister!!

After munching on the goodies, Peyton + Jason had some Daddy/Daughter reading time [ How cute is this book to get kids excited about a new sibling?!]

We had a pleasure of teaming up with longtime friend + owner of Little Confetti Company, Jeannie Do, to photograph her unique spin on a Valentine's party dedicated to all the little ones (+ not so little ones) who are fans of dessert! With Valentine's around the corner, it's not hard to see all the various displays with shades of reds, pinks, and whites. Imagine our surprise when we walked in to see this beautifully crafted + well-designed layout:

In lieu of the traditional + expected colors, Jeannie chose a palette of black, white and gold to create a clean, minimal + elegant design. The gold heart accents instantly add sparkle + glam to the party while the black + white contrast establishes sophistication to the layout. Her attention to detail, from the little washi tape accents to the little hand drawn hearts on the utensils, paid off when the mini's joined the party + "ooh'd" + "aah'd" before shoving some [self-decorated] donuts in their face.

Oh wow, it's 2016 already? I started a blog post in December with..."With the holidays upon us..." + never finished. Time flies so quickly!! We were so blessed to be able to snap from family session for the holiday season + seeing those same images on family cards were more than we could ever ask for in a gift. Throw in all the weddings + company holidays parties, Dale + I both are so full of awe + overwhelming gratitude at how we have felt your support this past year. From first timers, returning clients to fellow friendors, we could not be more humbled at your faith in us to deliver lasting memories whether it be in the form of images, photobooths or flipbooks. Because of you, we are able to make this dream of ours a reality + I because I'm not the writer in our relationship, I can't even begin to find the words to express my appreciation but please know that it's there.

Here's a couple sneak peeks at some of the family sessions we had the joy + privilege to capture...

Thank you to all our #FattykineFriends for allowing us a glimpse into your beautiful families! We are so honored by your trust in us.

When an old friend asked us to capture her second son's first birthday, it wasn't even question for us. Of course we would jump at the chance to create with another creative! Just look at the decorations all custom made for Hudson's special day! It really turned Twinkle Twinkle Kids' Cafe into a beautiful, colorful playground for all of Hudson's friends and family.

In addition to photographing the party, I was also entrusted to put together a short video montage of a few personal videos shot by mom that illustrated intimate and special moments with Hudson. After viewing the video at the party, there were a few tears shed by mom. Love when our art is able to move! For all the parents, I highly recommend putting together some captured moments in photos and/or videos and setting it to music to tell a short story.

The party itself was a little challenging with lots of natural light on one side of the room and not a lot of light on the slide and swing area. And with constant movement of kids, parents, and adults, we definitely had to be ready at all times with changing settings for the different lighting and angles. All in all, it was a fun day and it's always fun working with old friends! Hope Hudson had a really fun time at his party!

Back in June, we had the honor of capturing the retirement ceremony of Msgt Darrin "Yoshi" Koga from the US Air Force. It was a true privilege to be a part of such a momentous occasion and we are so grateful for the opportunity and the life's career of this man serving our country.

This was one of those times where the job of being photographers afforded us to be a part of a unique event. It was also one of our more challenging shoots because of the drastically different lighting in the hall where the ceremony was held. In a few of the images below, you can see that half the room was brightly lit with natural light and the other half was dimly lit in fluorescent lighting. We had to watch our shutter speed as the lighting was harsh at some angles and the fluorescent lighting gave the images an orange tone in others. But we worked through it and we were happy with the finals we were able to produce.

It was a relaxed event that felt more like a family get together. The warmth and bond that everyone shared with Darrin and his family really showed in the pictures. Again, we were so glad to be a part of it all. Here's to the next chapter for Darrin and his family! Thank you!

Oops moment: As I was photographing a helicopter installation complete with a shark missile, a jeep rolled up and an officer told me I couldn't shoot the installation for security reasons. I may or may not have the image so if you ask me, I may or may not show it to you... =)

Early last month, we received an request to photograph a special surprise proposal. Casey was planning to propose to his beautiful girlfriend of over a decade + wanted to preserve the moment - OMG how could we say no!?!

Casey + Lauren met in high school, shared a class together+ have been inseperable ever since. Watching them together, it's apparent they have a deep love + respect for one another + their families. This was evident as Casey chose a proposal location that had significant meaning for Lauren. Her grandmother worked at Point Vicente Interpretive Center + they had plaques posted in honor of her throughout the center. Over the years, their interests have intertwined + if not, you can bet they made an intentional effort to participate in whatever hobby/activity the other was interested in. Lauren didn't used to watch NASCAR but because it's something Casey had an interest in, she invested her time into watching it with him + has also come to enjoy it herself. But, what made this moment more wonderful + memorable was it coincided with her birthday (What an awesome birthday surprise!) AND they have a little one on the way! While the day started out as a proposal shoot, it turned in a mini maternity session as well - that's always fun! As an added bonus, this shoot is near to our hearts as we all share the same proposal anniversary =) Yeah, we bonded over that + it was awesome!

It was a joy to share in such an intimate + personal moment. A huge CONGRATULATIONS + THANK YOU to Casey + Lauren for allowing us to document the start of your journey to becoming husband + wife/father + mother. We couldn't be more thrilled for what's ahead for you guys...Cheers to you both!

There are a lot of beautiful things in the world: a golden sunrise/sunset, love - in its various shapes + forms, your first cup of coffee on a Monday morning, an empty 405 freeway at 5pm on a Friday... I could go on forever! But, a glowing expectant mother + her partner celebrating the new life that's to come? That's definitely at the top of my list.

I've known Lorraine for years as she's one of my best friends' older sister + while I've only known Catherine for a couple years, hanging out with them on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon made it feel like we'd been friends forever. It was such a happy surprise when Lorraine reached out + wanted to schedule her maternity pics. She was nearly 36 weeks + wanted to make sure she captured their time before Baby D arrived. Needless to say, we jumped at the chance to preserve this moment for them!

While we were walking, I found out Baby D's name was a shout out to his mom's birthplace of France + felt that was such a special way to honor Catherine =) They laughed together at how not-quite-ready they were for his arrival yet couldn't wait to meet him. Cat was so attentive + gentle with Lorraine while Lorraine rested on Cat during the breaks. And it wouldn't be a family shoot without their adorable first (fur) baby, Xela!

Their partnership + dedication to each other as a team shines + Baby D is so lucky to have two amazing mothers! Congratulations to you both Raine + Cat... we are so excited for Baby D + can't wait to meet him!

Last month, we partnered with Sillytooth to do semi-styled mini sessions for Mother's Day. [OK, so Sillytooth IRL is our sister (D's actual sis, my SIL) + although she's not an actual stylist, she's uber creative + had some really great ideas for creating a fun/memorable shoot for all the moms + their families. We just thought it would be fun to create a pseudonym for her in case she styled any future shoots...] After discussing the sessions with potential clients, we decided that these sessions shouldn't be limited to only mother's but extend to families as well. This turned out to be amazing because including the dad's in some of the sessions allowed for more interaction + allowed us to capture the loving + awesome family dynamic that's representative of daily life.

We had such a great time with each of our families + are continuously thankful they allow us to document such special moments with them to preserve for the future. We look forward to how their family grows + are humbled to be along for the journey.

We're on a roll with this blogging thing! I guess Tuesday is the day to crank it out! For today's post, I wanted to share with you a little passion project I worked on for our close friends, the Nishihira's.

A couple months ago, my interest in calligraphy had re-surfaced so I decided to invest some time into developing that interest into a skill that [hopefully] Fattykine would be able to utilize in some way shape or form. Whether it was through sign props for the photo/flip booth or in any our photoshoots - just a little something to give it that extra special touch. I was so honored when Debrah reached out to ask if I would create some custom pieces to present to her family to ask them to be Godparents to their newest addition to the Nishihira family, Morrison Dane. I'm so thrilled they liked it + more importantly, they all said YES!

Thank you Nishihira's for continually supporting Fattykine in all our endeavors. We are beyond blessed to have you as friends + look forward to creating more memories with you!

Wow - it's been a while since we last posted anything! Gahh! Time flies when you're having fun! But, we'll be more on top of it - we promise!

What better way to get back into the blog than with this super fun senior session with did with this gorgeous girl. I've known Janel since she was born + have had the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful person inside + out. J's off to UCLA next year + we couldn't be more proud + thrilled to celebrate her accomplishments with her! Despite the California drought, of course it would rain the one weekend we decided to shoot but J rolled with it + was a total trooper!

Congratulations J on all you've achieved - we can't wait to see what this next chapter has in store for you!

A few days late but here are my top 10 movies of 2014! Apologies to Birdman for not being able to view it. Really want to watch that one. Honorable Mentions: Into the Woods, The Wind Rises, Foxcatcher, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Edge of Tomorrow, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

10. Nightcrawler

Creepy, thrilling, and so captivating.

9. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson's styling in storytelling is as fascinating as it is recognizable here.

8. Boyhood

A true achievement in filmmaking and an incredibly intimate journey.

7. Snowpiercer

Super cool concept fleshed out by a story of revolution and evolution.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

Superhero movie with humor and heart to go along with the amazing action of Marvel. Also, best end credits scene: Baby Groot!

5. How to Train Your Dragon 2

Much like the original, packs an emotional punch. Still love the flying sequences with Hiccup and Toothless.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The 007 of Marvel movies, Winter Soldier not only exhilarated with action and political drama, it single handedly turned around the TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

3. Interstellar

Epic in scale, lengthy in time, the heart of the story, a father and daughter's relationship, inspires and brings lofty ideas back to the center of it all.

2. Big Hero 6

Surprisingly touching and incredible animation, we're introduced to the latest Disney character to sweep the world: Baymax! (Ba-la-la-la-la)

1. The LEGO Movie

Incredibly clever, visually dazzling, and transcendent. This movie earned top honors by being the most re-watchable of all this year. If there's one movie you have time for, this is the one. SPACESHIP!

so fattykine just started off as a fun project. a place where we could post some of the things we did....whether it was wedding planning/coordinating, photography sessions or food reviews. Over the last year or so, we started talking about taking it to the next level and actually providing a service to others outside of our immediate family/friends. Could we do it? Were we "good" enough? With all the options available, what sets us apart? We realized we could obsess over these questions forever and not do anything so we decided that we were just going to go for it. So, as of July 7th...we are a fully functioning business complete with a license, a business account and some fancy shmancy paperwork from the SOS that says we're legit! Unreal!!

While we initially started out with photography, we decided to focus on building our newest product: FLIPBOOKS! We had a flipbook booth at our wedding and I felt that it was one of the best things we had (in addition to the food...OMG the food!). I'd been tossing the idea around of opening a flipbooks studio here as I didn't see it as an option for birthdays, weddings, graduations, corporate events etc. So, after much discussion, we thought we should give it a shot! Even before launching officially, we were booked for a 1st birthday and received several inquiries for future events! We're hoping this will be a successful venture into becoming entrepreneurs that will enable us to provide a stable future for our future family. We're so super excited and couldn't have done it without all the support and encouragement of our family + friends! Thank you all so so much!

This little bundle here is Miss Peyton Hatsumi. Isn't she just the MOST gorgeous baby you've ever seen? She was born Monday, January 20th at 8:54pm to our really good friends + first-time parents, Taryn + Jason + I was lucky enough to actually be present during her entrance to the world (such a ridiculously humbling experience). To grow another human + bring it into the world is so amazing....if I wasn't a woman, I would totally get why women are freaking awesome.

Previously, I posted Taryn + Jason's maternity shoot + I'm so excited to share Peyton's 1 month shoot. Peyton was just a little fussy that morning (she wasn't feeling too good) but once she ate a bit (food always helps)...she was all set to go! Our time was a bit limited that day so we were only able to get some shots with her + "Daddy" but definitely want to get a "Mommy + me" shoot done ASAP!

Back in junior high, I was part of a ridiculously large group of friends who decided it would be a good idea to all go to Knott's Scary Farm one October. "It'll be fun!" they said. Yeah, right. Somewhere in between running away from freakishly scary monsters + screaming our way through the mazes, I was introduced to a new friend who was equally as scared of whatever was terrorizing us + her name was Taryn. Fast forward to now (however many years later), Taryn + I have had our share of crazy memories from having lived together for about 5 years in our early adulthood + have walked through many seasons of life together. When Taryn shared the news that she + Jason were expecting, Dale + I were over the moon happy for them! As Peyton's due date drew nearer, I wanted to preserve the joy she + Jason experienced in preparing for their first child. Their excitement was so contagious that you couldn't help but feel the same. I've heard about 'pregnancy glow' but up until then, I never really saw it but Taryn was absolutely radiant. We had so much fun shooting around Terrenea. Dale + I were so honored to be part of their journey to 1st time parenthood!

just because she's going to be a mom, doesn't mean she can't bust a move!

Dale + I were overjoyed to have the chance to shoot the Bhagat family for their 1st ever holiday card as a family of three. I've known Jennifer since high school and met Mitesh in college. Che + I both served as bridesmaids in each others' wedding although Jen gets the gold star for traveling to my Hawaiian wedding while 7.5 - 8 months pregnant!! As soon as Mila was born, I couldn't wait to take some photos of her! Mila was about 1.5 months old at the time and was such a trooper! Our normal 75 degree holiday weather decided to be absent the weekend we scheduled to do their family session so we decided to create a makeshift studio in their kitchen....we were losing the sun so got creative with some leftover Christmas lights. Even Mila's little protector, Casey, got in on the fun! Can't wait for more moments to snap with this beautiful family!!

I've been craving doing a sunset shoot for the past couple weeks but everytime 6pm approached, I was always so lazy! Finally, this past Monday I decided to get out and take a couple shots. I was late to the sunset so I just took some random shots - considering our 2 year anniversary of our engagement (I dubbed it 'engageaversary') I thought, "Oh! I could take some shots of my engagement ring!" buuuut when I looked down, I realized I was wearing just my wedding band. Oops. But, I let my band have it's day in the sun.....

Here's a couple more images from the failed sunset shoot....will try again next time!

this post (and ones to come) are so incredibly belated because i'm TERRIBLE at blogging but these images are some of my favorites that there was no way I couldn't post them. dale + i have had the honor + pleasure to capture moments in our friends' lives + to not share them would just be selfish of us. let's start with jenny + mochi.

last november, i was talking to my friend jenny when she brought up how she needed to get her holiday pictures done for her xmas cards. i quickly offered to shoot them for her - it was a win/win for us both. she would be our test models for us to refine our skills + she would get some images that she can use for her cards. she agreed to be a good sport + so we met up + went for it!

the shoot took place at an open park in palos verdes, ca + we were so excited to snap some awesome pictures capturing the bond between her + mochi. dale was 2nd shooter + i was all over the place trying different lenses, angles and positions. overall, it was a superfun shoot + we were all exhausted at the end. i think the big winner was mochi - i don't think she knew what was going on but all the bribery with treats - she sure wasn't complaining!

mochi is our first + favorite model dog (so far) - she knew when to turn her head + her profile is just perfect. looking forward to more shoots with these two!